Dutch teens jailed for beating linesman Richard Nieuwenhuizen to death

A man lays flowers at the memorial site for the late linesman Richard Nieuwenhuizen at the SC Buitenboys clubhouse in the Dutch city of Almere. Source: AFP

A DUTCH court has jailed six teenage boys and a father for up to six years for the brutal beating to death of an amateur football linesman last year.

"The seven suspects are guilty of beating the linesman's head and upper body," said judge Anja van Holten, finding an eighth suspect innocent of the killing of Richard Nieuwenhuizen, 41.

Mr Nieuwenhuizen's death after being kicked by enraged youth players after officiating in a match in which one of his sons was playing sent shockwaves through the football-mad Netherlands.

He died in hospital shortly after the match.

The seven young suspects, aged 15 to 17 at the time, and the 51-year-old adult were charged with manslaughter, public violence and brutality.

"The court decides that none of the suspects had the intention of killing the linesman," the judge said.

The only adult, Hasan D., was jailed for six years, while five of the teenagers were sent to youth detention units for the maximum of two years, six months suspended.

A sixth convict, aged 15, was sent to a youth detention unit for a year with two months suspended.

Mr Nieuwenhuizen's widow and three sons spoke to journalists outside the court.

"We're happy with the high sentences, because the worst thing for me is that they never admitted what they did," widow Xandra said, arm in arm with her sons.

"This verdict gives us some kind of closure."

The last suspect, also 15, was acquitted of the killing but ordered detained for 30 days, 17 of them suspended, because "he only hit the opposing side's goalkeeper," the ruling said.

"The conclusion is that the violence the suspects committed is the reason for Nieuwenhuizen's death," the judge said after an expert had said the death could be blamed on a genetic anomaly.

Prosecution spokeswoman Susanne Terporten said she was "fairly satisfied" with the sentences.

"There are not extenuating circumstances in this case, notably because the suspects never confessed despite the evidence. The fact that they never confessed is hard for the family, because it means that they will never know exactly what happened," she said.

"It looked like they were kicking a ball," the judge quoted a witness as saying as she read out the verdict.

Mr Nieuwenhuizen's death led to much soul-searching in the Netherlands, where 1.2 million people out of a population of 16.5 million are members of the national football federation KNVB.

The court heard testimony in May and June including allegations that Mr Nieuwenhuizen insulted the suspects after the match and that members of the opposing team told them to "come and fight".

Hassan D. said he had only tried to keep players apart, as the court was shown photographs of the brawl taken by spectators.

One young suspect exercised his right to silence after Mr Nieuwenhuizen's DNA was found on his football boot.

Those convicted are all connected to, or are members of, the Nieuw Sloten football club, which played against Mr Nieuwenhuizen's Buitenboys Club in Almere, just east of Amsterdam, when the attack occurred.

Mr Nieuwenhuizen officiated as a linesman in the under-17 match and was set upon immediately after by members of the Nieuw Sloten club. He was allegedly kicked several times in the head but got up and went home.

He became ill a few hours later and died the following day in hospital with his family at his side.

After his death, sign were put up around the country which read in Dutch: "Zonder respect geen voetbal" - "Without respect, no football".

Teams at the Club World Cup in Japan last year held a moment of silence in Mr Nieuwenhuizen's memory before the tournament kicked off.

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